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President Biden & The Future of Regenerative Agriculture In The US
With a new administration in Washington, the next few years could be interesting for efforts to improve agriculture production while addressing environmental issues at the same time
February 5, 2021
Editor’s note: Steve Groff is a farmer, a regenerative agriculture consultant, and the founder of Cover Crop Coaching, which educates farmers and farm advisors about effective cover crop use. The views expressed in this guest article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of AFN.
With a new administration in Washington, the next few years could be interesting for efforts to improve agriculture production while addressing environmental issues at the same time.
President Joe Biden has expressed support for climate-friendly farming practices, but there are questions about what that ultimately will mean. Will helping American farms be a high priority for the new president or will it get lost amid other pressing concerns, including the Covid-19 pandemic? And just how open is a good portion of the agriculture community to the government getting involved in what they do?
Among other proposals, Biden has vowed to pursue policies that would expand and fortify the federal Conservation Stewardship Program. One desired result of this effort would be to make more money available for payments to farmers who reduce their carbon footprint through a variety of methods, including the use of cover crops.
While the big-business side of agriculture has been more willing to use government programs, grassroots farmers involved in regenerative agriculture tend to be leery of government programs and handouts. Most of them, in fact, suggest getting out of government-related programs – particularly the use of crop insurance.
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Those in the regenerative agriculture movement come from the perspective that we have ruined the resiliency of our soils and if we ‘regenerate’ them, they can better handle weather extremes brought on by climate change.
But one challenge for the regenerative agriculture movement is getting farmers educated on how to use these practices. That is a huge reason why I wrote my book, The Future Proof Farm. I wanted not only to educate but to inspire farmers to take their first step in that direction.
I firmly believe regenerative agriculture is scalable, as we now have large farms with thousands of acres that are successfully using these practices with little to no inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.
And yes, most of those farms are doing it with no government help.
But on the other side are farmers drooling over the potential to get paid to use cover crops, no-till, and other soil health practices that can sequester carbon. Farmers are primed like never before to try those practices due to rising awareness over the past 20 years or so. In any business, it’s ‘all about the money’ – so if a farmer can get paid to engage in a good practice, it’s a favorable thing in their minds.
How do farmers feel about cover crops? We asked a cover crop coach – read more here
I am biased toward letting the market work, as we know there is a demand for food and fiber grown using regenerative agriculture – and we can accomplish what we need to without government help. With regenerative agriculture, we can lower our costs of production.
That being said, there are not enough resources to help farmers learn these methods. I believe we have an education hurdle – not a need for another handout. I also believe we need to take a deeper look at how regenerative agriculture actually leads to a more nutritious or nutrient-dense food product, whether it is fed to livestock or ends up on the kitchen table.
I do see some merit in the government helping farmers for a few years to get started in these carbon-sequestering practices, but more important are educational efforts to help farmers be effective in using those practices. The old adage applies: give a person a fish and you will be giving them fish for a lifetime; teach each person to fish, and they will meet their own needs for a lifetime.
If the Biden administration can somehow capture a holistic approach by supporting the education necessary for farmers to grow healthy food, it will be a win for producers, a win for the people, and a win for the planet.
Regenerative Agriculture Could Save Soil, Water, And The Climate. Here’s How The U.S. Government Actively Discourages It
Cover crops and other regenerative agriculture practices are still pigeonholed as conservation practices, not as good farming practices. But if farmers want crop insurance, they have to play by the rules.
By Jessica McKenzie | Read more
New Certification Goes Beyond Organic
New Certification Goes Beyond Organic
The Regenerative Organic Certification is open to organic producers certified by USDA, but it sets a higher bar for soil health and animal welfare and adds standards for social fairness for farmers and workers.
Carol Ryan Dumas Capital Press
March 15, 2018
The Regenerative Organic Alliance, led by the Rodale Institute, is launching a certification program focused on holistic agriculture that its sponsors say goes beyond simple sustainability.
The Regenerative Organic Certification will stand on the shoulders of the National Organic Program, and only products certified organic by USDA are eligible.
But ROC will raise those standards and fill in the gaps of that program that evolved by either design or default, said Jeff Moyer, executive director of the Rodale Institute.
ROC will address the standards consumers perceive to be part of NOP through its three pillars of soil health, animal welfare and social fairness, he said.
“It’s important to think about what it really means to be regenerative; it’s more than just a word,” he said.
Rodale’s work to support and strengthen organic standards has always been based on a standard of continuous improvement to resources. But that concept was given up in the National Organic Program, or NOP, which allows the use of chemicals, he said.
The ROC will address continuous improvement in soil health and also go further than NOP in addressing animal welfare. It will also include social fairness for producers and workers, which isn’t an aspect of the NOP conversation, he said.
Rodale’s founder, J.I. Rodale, was the first to link healthy soil to healthy food to healthy humans, he said.
“Too often we don’t pay attention to that,” he said.
Rodale’s son, Robert Rodale, later recognized that farming by organic principles could mitigate climate change, he said.
“Farming can either create some of the world’s greatest challenges or solve them. Regenerative organic agriculture is our opportunity to solve them,” he said.
Healthy soil, clean air and clean water are just as important as yield and profit, and people and communities matter, he said.
ROC will link together all the values that matter to consumers to improve the health of the planet and people around the world, he said.
Spearheading the effort along with Rodale are Dr. Bronner’s — a major brand of natural soap worldwide committed to social justice and environmental sustainability — and Patagonia, an outdoor company committed to environmental activism.
ROC was created with the intent for the standard to become adopted by companies and producers on a broad scale and has already gotten a lot of attention from other brands, Moyer said.
Some brands will use the ROC logo and label, and others will use it as an internal control that food, fiber and other products are produced in accordance with their values and the values of their customers, he said.
The alliance will be launching pilot audits, working with accredited certifiers and producers to understand how the standards can be implemented on farms and ranches.
“We built the boat and want to see if it will float,” he said.
Hopefully, certification will begin in early 2019, with the goal of having ROC products appearing on store shelves within the next two years, he said.
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Top 4 common Soil Types
To find out the difference among clay, sand and silts, humus, and loam soils; look broader into types. Three basic particles: sand, silt or clay compose all soils
Top 4 common Soil Types
January 29, 2018
The next time your stuck on a growing question, open up our blog post, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a master grower.
Introduction
To find out the difference among clay, sand and silts, humus, and loam soils; look broader into types. Three basic particles: sand, silt or clay compose all soils. Vast size variations among these particles affect the properties of your indoor garden. Coarse and largest, sand particles are clearly seen and felt in your hand. Smaller silt particles have smooth, flour-like texture. smallest of all, clay particles can be seen through a microscope. The amounts of these different particles determine whether your soil type is primarily clay, sand or loam.
Clay
Clay is stiff, fine grained earth consisting of hydrated aluminosilicates that become flexible when water is added. Clay is commonly mixed with other soil types to create a medium suitable for lettuce.
Top 10 plants that love to grow in clay:
Broccoli - Brussels Sprouts - Cabbage (red & green) - Cabbage (Napa & Savoy) Cauliflower - Kale - Bean - Pea - Potato - Radish
Humus
Humus is the organic constituent of soil, formed by the decomposition of plant materials, and can be bought in bags at local gardening stores. Most of these products claim to be free of bugs and other living matter, but sometimes this is not 100% true. Don't be surprised if you find a worm or green fly in the package. Humus is also sometimes known as compost, but compost is the final mixture of manure, loam soil, and some other media, with added organic matter. Humus is that added organic matter. Humus mixing is a step towards a more natural soil when mixed with clay, and sand and silts.
Sand and silts
Sand soils can be pure sand or a mixture of sand soil. The problem with sandy soil is that it drains water and minerals out too fast. It is a very dry soil and is not suitable for the lettuce grower's needs on its own. Silt soils are nearly the same as sand soils, expect they have a consistency more like clay and darker in colors. Silts hold nutrients well but do not hold water very well. Like sands, they are prone to quick drainage. Like we said, sands and silts are rarly used on their own to grow lettuce and mostly mixed with other types. Its important to know about them and how they are used.
Loam
Loam tends to be a mix of all of the above. The composition of the mix should be stated on the bag. In fact, in most cases, normal soil purchased in shops has humus, sand, silt, and clay already mixed in. When you buy a bag of soil it is nearly always going to be a loam. Loam is a very fertile soil and for control over the ratios you can even mix your own loam soils.
Loam is soil that contains:
less than 52% sand
28-50% silt
7-27% clay
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Tags: soil clay humus sand and silt loam indoor farming growing tips
Blue Hill Farm Owner Launches VC Firm with $30m Fund
The co-owner of Blue Hill Farm and Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant in upstate New York has launched Almanac Investments to extend the values of regenerative agriculture into venture capital
Blue Hill Farm Owner Launches VC Firm with $30m Fund
JANUARY 23, 2018 EMMA COSGROVE
The co-owner of Blue Hill Farm and Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant in upstate New York has launched Almanac Investments to extend the values of regenerative agriculture into venture capital. The firm’s launch is backed by $30 million, which founder David Barber says will be invested in consumer packaged goods (CPG), experiential retail, and agriculture and hospitality technology companies.
Regenerative agriculture, a method of farming based around soil restoration and overall land health, is the main focus of Blue Hill and the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, which Barber co-founded with his brother chef Dan Barber. Almanac Investments will align with many of the values of Stone Barns.
Though the fund is seeking investments supportive of regenerative agriculture and the circular economy, David Barber says that the term “impact investor” does not apply. Barber does not believe “impact” needs to be the primary driver because he already links sustainability with financial returns.
“These businesses will, in our view, be the best long-term investments and the ones where we can contribute the most value over time,” Barber explained. “It’s a very different role for capital because it’s not just aspirational investment.”
Almanac has already made three investments, including packaged soup brand Nona Lim, food business incubator network Pilotworks, and Blue Cart, which is a wholesale order management software platform for buyers and sellers in the hospitality industry.
Barber has been investing in food and agriculture startups for years as an angel investor and has worked closely with like-minded venture firms like S2G Ventures. With Almanac, he hopes to compound the support he has been able to give to startups.
“To really help these businesses, I needed to professionalize the advice we’re giving and the help we’re offering and to really coordinate resources in a way that benefits the entrepreneur,” Barber said.
Specifically, Almanac is looking to support early-stage CPG products that are intentional about their supply chains, as well as experiential retail in the quick-serve restaurant space, an area in which players increasingly compete on the transparency of their sourcing.
“It’s about a moment in time where capital can play a real role,” he said. “The role we want Almanac to play is to ensure that the capital is used to support the future food system we aspire to. Opportunistic capital that intends to use the food system purely for the purposes of generating more capital, will be leaving the greatest long-term value creation on the table.”
Almanac is targeting investments in the ballpark of six figures, with the possibility of larger follow-on investments down the road — a strategy that Barber says is a response to the funding landscape for food businesses right now.
Barber also says that he’s not married to the traditional venture capital timelines, seeking to be a long-term investor on a “very selective basis.”
Zoe Feldman, a former intern at Stone Barns who spent the last ten years in R&D and venture strategy at PepsiCo and Chicago-based VCCleveland Avenue, has joined Almanac as managing director.